


Sparky

by winterschild11



Category: Big Time Rush (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:34:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27271270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterschild11/pseuds/winterschild11
Summary: "They might only be here for a part of your life, but for them...You are their whole life."
Kudos: 4





	Sparky

**For Houdini.**

He sat there, numb. He clutched the small fawn coloured dog tightly to him, only hearing white noise

The veterinarian was explaining to his mom what the x-rays showed. They had brought him in because Sparky was having a hard time eating and not wanting to play, even though he tried. The vet recommended a dental because the small dog had a habit of chewing on rocks and had a broken canine a couple of months earlier. Dr. Randall did the exam and had asked to do a chest x-ray. Half an hour later they were sitting in the exam room and the doctor was showing them what he had found - a tumour around the small dog's heart.

Carlos shook his head. "No."

Sylvia sat down next to her son and put her arms around him. "Mijo, we need to do what's best for Sparky."

"I'm what's best, I can make him better," Carlos said.

"Son, I know this is hard, and I know how much you love Sparky, but this isn't really something that can get better," Dr. Randall said gently.

"Love can always win," Carlos said, as tears threatened to fall.

The older man smiled softly and took the seat on the other side of him. He reached over and scratched Sparky's ear, and the dog wagged his tail and looked at him expectantly. "You still like your treats, don't you, old man?" He pulled a small bag from his pocket and offered a meat treat to the little dog. Sparky took it and slowly chewed it.

"See, he's eating!" Carlos said, holding him closer.

Dr. Randall looked over at Sylvia, who was already wiping away tears. "You don't have to decide anything today, but he's probably going to start feeling worse. I'll prescribe some pain meds for him, they'll help him rest."

Sylvia watched Carlos for a moment and then nodded. "I'll call and make an appointment for later in the week." She wanted Carlos to have time to process everything, and she wanted Antonio with them.

Dr. Randall nodded and he patted Carlos on the shoulder. "He loves you a lot and you've been a good friend to him. You've always taken good care of him and he trusts you in all things. Do you know what I hate most about this job?"

Carlos sniffed and looked at him. "What?"

"That we have to make decisions like this. That the little ones we love so much, don't live as long as we do. But, do you want to know something good about a dog's life?"

Carlos nodded.

"Dogs live in the moment, they don't think of time as in days or years. Every moment you have loved him is etched in his soul and that is what has made his life so special. You are his human and that will always be true. That connection doesn't end with death, it goes on," Dr. Randall told him as he stood up.

"It's not fair," Carlos said.

"No, it's really not," Dr. Randall agreed. "But, I know you don't want him to suffer, either."

Carlos hugged Sparky closer and stood up. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Know what, Mijo," Sylvia asked.

"W-When it's time to…" Carlos said.

"You'll know," Dr. Randall told him.

Sparky reached up and licked Carlos' cheek. "He's not ready today," Carlos said quietly.

"No, not today." Dr. Randall smiled softly.

Sylvia had let the other moms know what was going on, and all the families were heartbroken at the thought of losing Sparky.

* * *

Carlos stayed home from school for the rest of the week, with the other boys coming over with his homework every night. He spent every waking moment with Sparky and rejoiced when his little friend would eat an entire meal, or want to bring in sticks from the yard. Carlos borrowed his mom's camera and took pictures of Sparky every day.

Four days after the visit to the vet's Sparky stopped eating his meals. He started sleeping all the time and had to stop to take a breath when he would walk for a short distance.

"Come on, Sparky, this is your favourite!" Carlos said, trying to hand-feed his friend some shredded chicken. Sparky wagged his tail and took the offering, but laid it on the floor next to him.

"It's okay, I can make you something else," Carlos said, as he took another picture. Sparky wagged his tail again and then curled up and fell asleep. Carlos covered him with a small fleece blanket and sat next to him.

Antonio watched the scene and sighed sadly. He knew it was time to let the old dog go, but he didn't want to push things. He smiled to himself as he remembered bringing Sparky home.

_The police had a report of a puppy mill and found dozens of dogs living in small cages and living under horrific conditions. The ASPCA had come in and Antonio had spent the day helping them load the poor animals into the vans that had come to take them to Minneapolis for care. He had been finished writing up the complaint and handed it to the property's owner when he heard a small bark come from under the porch. He looked under and saw a small dog covered with mud. "How did we miss you?" Antonio asked as he put his hand out. The pup immediately licked his fingers and Antonio was able to pull him out. The little dog cuddled next to him, wagging his tail and tried to lick him._

_The vans had already gone, so Antonio put the dog in the passenger seat of his car. "What am I going to do with you? I really don't want to drive to Minneapolis tonight."_

_Antonio ended up taking the dog home for the night, fully intending on taking him to the shelter the next day. Except, Carlos and that little dog bonded instantly. He spent the night reminding the eight-year-old that the dog didn't belong to them and he would have to go to the shelter with the other rescued animals._

_"Okay, Papi! Sparky can go visit his friends tomorrow," Carlos said, hugging the muddy dog tightly and giggling as it licked his face._

_Sylvia looked at her husband. "Visit?"_

_Antonio gave her a pained smile._

_She arched an eyebrow at him and pointed at the dog. "Give it a bath before it ruins the rug and furniture."_

_"Yes, dear."_

_"I'll call and make an appointment with the vet tomorrow," she said._

_"Vet?" Antonio asked._

_"Well, it's going to need shots and who knows what else," she told him._

_"We're keeping it?" Antonio asked in shock._

_"Unless YOU want to tell him it's going to a different home," she said, pointing toward their son._

_Antonio looked at Carlos still hugging the dog and shook his head. "Are you sure?" He asked quietly._

_Sylvia gave him a soft smile and kissed his cheek. "We've lost enough this year and I think a new life will make everyone feel better."_

_Antonio nodded and he and Carlos bathed the dog, which turned out to be a light tan colour with black markings. The next day Dr. Randall gave Sparky his shots, ran some standard blood tests, gave him dewormer, and told them the dog was not a puppy, but probably between 4 to 6 years old. They made an appointment to get him neutered and took Sparky home._

Antonio sighed sadly, again. This was not going to be easy for any of them.

* * *

The next morning, Carlos made a bowl for Sparky and just watched him as his friend nosed the food, but didn't eat. "It's okay, boy, I don't always like breakfast either." Sparky wagged his tail and stood up on unsteady feet and walked to the water bowl. Carlos grabbed the camera and took another picture of Sparky as he walked back to the teen. He looked up at him and stared at his human before curling up next to him, his paw was always resting on some part of the boy.

"I'm going to have to get a new album for all your new pictures," Carlos told him as he looked through the camera roll. He looked at the last photo where Sparky was looking at him and fought back tears. He pulled the small dog into his arms and started to cry.

Sparky licked the boy's cheek before resting his head in the crook of his neck.

Sylvia made hot chocolate and some bone broth for Sparky. She took up to Carlos' room and found him holding Sparky close, sobbing.

"Mijo…" she said, setting the tray down and going over to her son. She sat next to him and pulled him close.

He handed her the camera and pointed to the last picture. "It's time."

She looked at the picture, confused, but nodded. She kissed his forehead and then kissed the top of Sparky's head. "I'll call Dr. Randall and Papi," she said, standing up.

The drive to the veterinarian clinic was quiet. Sparky slept in Carlos' arms and the teen stared at him the whole time.

They pulled into the parking lot and parked near the door. Antonio got out and opened Carlos' door. "I can take him," Antonio said softly.

Carlos shook his head. "No, Papi. This is for me to do."

Antonio nodded and put his arm around his son's shoulders and they went inside.

They got them right into an exam room and Dr. Randall came in a few minutes later. He looked sadly at the Garcias and knelt in front of Carlos. He reached over and scratched Sparky's ear. The dog looked at him but seemed too tired to even wag his tail. "I know this isn't easy and you don't have to stay."

Carlos held Sparky closer. "Yes, I do. He's my friend and he needs me to be here."

"Do you want to hold him?" Dr. Randall asked.

"Yes."

Dr. Randall nodded. "I'm going to take him so we can put in a catheter. I'll bring him right back to you, I promise."

Carlos nodded and Dr. Randall gently took the little dog from him.

"Mijo, are you sure you want to be here? Why don't you wait in the other room with Mami, and I'll stay?" Antonio suggested.

"No Papi, I need to be here."

Antonio looked at Sylvia, who nodded.

"Alright, Mijo," he said, pulling his son closer.

A few minutes later, Dr. Randall came back in with Sparky and carefully laid him on the exam table. He gestured for Carlos to join him.

Carlos went over and stood next to the table, and smiled sadly at Sparky. Sparky looked up at him and wagged his tail a little.

"You can hug him, but he needs to stay on the table. I just need access to his leg," Dr. Randall said, pointing at the catheter in Sparky's front leg.

Carlos nodded and leaned over the table, hugging Sparky to him.

"Have any of you done this before?" Dr. Randall asked.

Sylvia and Antonio both shook their heads no.

Dr. Randall pulled a large syringe filled with a pink solution from his pocket. "When you're ready, I'll give him this through the catheter. He'll just go to sleep, but his eyes won't close. That's normal for most animals because the muscles in their eyelids are very strong."

"Okay," Antonio said.

Dr. Randall looked at Carlos. "Are you ready?"

Carlos didn't say anything but nodded. He buried his face in Sparky's fur and held him tightly. Both Antonio and Sylvia put one hand on Sparky and one on Carlos' back.

Dr. Randall gently took Sparky's leg and pulled so it was straight. He inserted the needle into the catheter port and injected the solution.

Seconds later Sparky's body relaxed and Carlos started sobbing as he felt the life leave his little friend.

* * *

The other families joined the Garcias that evening and the boys spent the night. They tried a lot of different things to cheer Carlos up, but his heart was shattered and he didn't say much. Logan put in a DVD of one of Carlos' favourite movies and they sat in mostly silence, watching. After a few hours, Logan nodded off, and then James.

Kendall had been watching Carlos most of the evening and went over to sit next to him. "I know it hurts and there's nothing I can say to make to stop hurting. Sparky was really special and no one can ever replace him. I can only say I'm sorry and we are all here for you, no matter what."

Carlos gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

"Always," Kendall said, putting his arm around Carlos' shoulders.

The next day was Friday and Carlos stayed home from school, again. The other boys returned after school, to spend the weekend with their friend.

Sylvia made them some snacks. "I have to run a few errands, but I'll be back soon," she told them.

"Okay Mami," Carlos said as they chose a movie to watch.

They had nearly finished watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when Sylvia got home. The boys jumped up and helped her carry in groceries. After the boys took the bags into the kitchen she pulled a small wooden box out of her purse. She ran her fingers over the smooth wood and blinked back tears.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked, noting his mom's sad look.

She nodded and smiled. "I stopped at Dr. Randall's because Sparky's ashes came back."

Carlos looked at the small box. "He fit in there?"

"Yes, Mijo. Should we put him on the bookcase, next to his pictures?"

Carlos reached out and took the box from her. Sparky's name was carved into the front of the box, and there was a small bookmark with flower seeds lying on top.

"We can plant those in the spring," Sylvia told him.

Carlos nodded and ran his fingers over Sparky's name. Then he went over to the built-in bookcase, next to the fireplace. He gently set the little box in front of a picture taken right after they had decided to keep the little dog. Carlos was holding Sparky and grinning from ear to ear.

He felt tears building again as he looked at the picture.

Sylvia took out a small velvet pouch and handed it to Kendall. Kendall looked at James and Logan and nodded and they went over to Carlos.

"Hey, buddy, we have something for you too," Logan said.

Carlos wiped his eyes. "W-What?"

Kendall handed him the small bag and gave him a sad smile.

Carlos took it and looked inside. "What is it?" He asked as he pulled out a thick dog tag pendant with a paw print on the front.

"Turn it over," James said.

Carlos turned the pendant over and read the inscription.

**_Sparky_ **

**_No longer by my side,_ **

**_but forever in my heart._ **

"We saw this and wanted to get it for you. We had them put some of Sparky's ashes in it," Logan told him, showing him the small screw at the top.

"This way, Sparky is always with you," Kendall said.

"I-I don't know what to say," Carlos said.

"You don't have to say anything. We loved him too and if it hurts us this much, I can't imagine how much you're hurting," James said, hugging him.

"Thank you," Carlos said, hugging him back. He put the pendant on and then hugged Logan and Kendall.

"We are always here for you," Kendall whispered as Carlos hugged him.

"I know. It's just…" Carlos said, not knowing how to express what he was feeling.

"You don't have to explain, we know," Kendall said.

Carlos sniffed. "Do you think it will ever feel better?"

"Someday, but not today. It hurts so much because you loved him. It's okay to feel bad for as long as it takes to feel better, and that might take a long time. If that makes sense?" Kendall told him.

"I think it does," Carlos said, giving his friends a sad smile.

"And, we'll be here for you, no matter what," James promised.

Carlos nodded, his feelings threatening to overwhelm him again. "Maybe we should finish the movie," he suggested.

"Then we can watch the new zombie movie you like," Logan said, going over and restarting the movie.

"Unless you want to do something else?" Kendall asked.

"No, that sounds great," Carlos said with a small smile.

"I have popcorn, hot chocolate, and fresh cookies, if someone wants to come and get them," Sylvia called out from the kitchen.

The boys jumped up. "We'll get it, you sit down and relax," Logan told Carlos, pointing to the couch.

"Thanks, guys," Carlos said as he went over and sat down. He looked paused the movie and looked at the pendant. He ran his fingers over the inscription and felt himself tearing up again. "I miss you and it's not fair, but I will never forget you. I will always love you."

The other boys came in, carrying trays and mugs, so he quickly wiped his eyes.

James started the movie again and they all settled in to watch the movie.

Kendall noticed Carlos holding tightly to the pendant and put his arm around Carlos' shoulders. "It's going to be okay," he whispered.

Carlos nodded. "Not today, but someday."

"Someday," Kendall agreed.


End file.
